The Dragon Dancers
by yoomiii
Summary: After the 100 year war, Zuko is left to restore the honour of the Fire Nation and promote peace. The Harmony Restoration Movement seemed the right thing to do. But when he visits Yu Dao Zuko's perspective changes. With his uncle unavailable, he struggles to find the right path when suddenly guidance comes in the form of a friendly face - one he had made a promise to [mostly canon].
1. Chapter 1

Zuko sat in the study and glared at the scripture in front of him. But the stubborn thing just didn't give him the answers he was looking for. He had come back from Yu Dao a changed man. Suddenly, the Harmony Restoration Movement didn't seem right anymore. He knew it was wrong to separate the people living in the colony. It would tear families apart, separate friendships and destroy businesses. He couldn't let such harm come to his people. It was his duty as Fire Lord to stand in for them. Why couldn't Aang and Katara understand that? Maybe they would. After all, they were now on their way to convince the Earth Kingdom to sit down and discuss the fate of the remaining Fire Nation Colonies – those who had been around for more than a century.

Unfortunately, Zuko wasn't to sure that King Kuei would agree. Or, that the outcome of the discussion would be favourable for the people of Yu Dao. That was why he had spent most of his day reading through his copy of the Harmony Restoration act, trying to find a loophole that would allow the Fire Nation citizens of Yu Dao to remain in the Earth Kingdom. But there was nothing. The directive was very clear: all the Earth Kingdom colonies were to be given back to the Earth King and their Fire Nation inhabitants returned to their home country.

Tired, pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and started another re-read of the scroll. Maybe, he should order some tea? His uncle had always said that the world looked very different through the steam of a hot cup of tea. As if he had heard his thoughts, the doors suddenly opened and one of his servants entered the study. "Please forgive the disturbance, Fire Lord Zuko. There is a young woman here who claims to have been sent by your uncle", the servant announced and Zuko raised his good eyebrow. _A woman? _Who did his uncle send? He had no idea but since he wasn't getting anywhere with the task at hand anyway, he might as well see the visitor. "It's fine. Please show her in and bring us some tea", he ordered, rolling up the scroll and pushing it back into its sleeve.

The servant bowed and left, only to return a few seconds later with his visitor. The young woman was dressed in traditional Earth Kingdom colours and her face was covered by the hood of her dark green cloak._ She is too tall to be Toph,_ Zuko concluded. Also, she wore shoes. Curious, he rose from his seat just as the servant closed the door again and left him alone with the stranger. The visitor stepped forward and dropped elegantly into a deep bow, greeting him: "Thank you for receiving me, Fire Lord Zuko." The voice sounded familiar but Zuko couldn't match it to its owner. Not until she finally pushed her hood back and the waning sunlight illuminated her features and the dark auburn hair.

"Kayia!" Surprised, he let out a small gasp. Out of all the people that his uncle could have sent, he didn't expect her at all. And yet, in a strange way he was relieved to see the familiar face. He had only met her once before in his life - back when he was scouring the world for the Avatar – but he would probably never forget their first encounter.

xxxx

_It had only been a few weeks after the fateful Agni Kai with his father. They had travelled to the Western Air temples, hoping to find any clues to the Avatar's whereabouts or his identity. But of course, there was nothing. His great-grandfather's army had turned the temples – metaphorically speaking – upside down when they realised, that the Avatar hadn't been reborn into the Water Tribes. If there was anything to find, it had been discovered nearly a hundred years ago. _

_At this point, the realization that he might not return home for years – possibly even decades – slowly crept in and Zuko became restless. His uncle tried to console him, suggesting that he should take some time to heal and regain his strength, but the young prince didn't listen. Not until a few days later when they were travelling towards the Northern Air temples and he decided to use the time he had on sea to practice his firebending. _

_Zuko's blasts were bigger and stronger than ever before – fuelled by his anger and despair. Under different circumstances, the Dragon of the West would have been happy for his nephew's progress. He knew, how Zuko had suffered under Azula's shadow when it came to firebending. However, Iroh couldn't help but notice how his nephew flinched, whenever flames flared up in front of his eyes. Having lived through the horrible pain the element could bring first-hand, it was obvious that the boy was frightened at the sight of his own element. And this was something, Iroh could not allow._

_This time, he didn't ask Zuko but rather gave the orders to change course himself. And when morning came, they had already reached the Earth Kingdom provinces. Zuko, of course, was furious but when his uncle sat him down and revealed, that he saw how frightened he was to get hurt again, he suddenly fell silent. That night, the young prince sought out his uncle and reluctantly agreed, to let him help deal with his fear._

_Thanks to the tight network of the White Lotus it hadn't been too hard to track down the group of entertainers Kayia was travelling with at that moment. They found her in a small Earth Kingdom town and Zuko was less than pleased when he realised, that his uncle had asked him to abandon his hunt for the Avatar to watch some no-name entertainers perform. "I swear uncle, if we are here for some stupid special tea blend these jesters carry around, I am going to…", he threatened, pulling the hood of his cloak deeper into his face. "Don't worry nephew, that's not why we came. However, there is always time for tea if you would like…", his uncle replied but he immediately cut him off. "No, I don't want tea! I want to know why we're in this agni-forsaken town. How is this going to help me with my problem?" Annoyingly, his uncle just smiled in response and continued to watch the performance._

_After what felt like an eternity, the performance finally came to a close and they continued their journey out of the city and to a field, where the troupe was erecting a camp. "Remind me again, why we concern ourselves with these peasants?", Zuko asked when his uncle suddenly stopped and extended his arm, pointing at a young girl that was unloading wood from one of the carriages: "Because she is going to help you." Zuko recognized the girl as one of the dancers from the show and was sure, that his uncle had finally lost his mind. Nonetheless, he followed the old man as he approached her._

_ "The White Lotus opens wide…", his uncle greeted her, and while Zuko shot his uncle another crazy look, the immediately turned around and replied: "… to those who know it's secrets." Iroh had started to smile and opened his arms wide for the girl: "Kayia, it has been too long." The girl let go of the firewood and threw herself into his arms: "Master Iroh, I am so glad to see you!" _

_Zuko's patience had already been exhausted, which was why he rudely interrupted the reunion by audibly clearing his throat. His uncle got the hint and let go of the girl, introducing him: "Let me introduce my nephew: Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." The girl's eyes widened but she immediately composed herself again and fluidly transitioned into a respectful bow: "It is an honour to meet you, Prince Zuko." He nodded at the gesture, not being able to shake the uneasy feeling he got from her address. He had lost his honour and still this Earth Kingdom citizen bowed to him as if nothing had happened. It was wrong._

_The reunion was followed by boring exchanges and tea in the girl's tent. Zuko didn't follow the conversation closely, but he gathered that his uncle knew Kayia through her father and that she was travelling with the troupe for almost a year now. Then, finally, the topic turned more interesting when Iroh revealed, that his nephew needed her help. Zuko shot the old man a disapproving glance, he didn't ask for help from anyone. However, the girl didn't seem to notice this and turned to him. "I would be honoured to help. How can I be of service to my Prince?"_

_"You are from the Fire Nation?", Zuko asked, puzzled by her response. The next Fire Nation colony was days away – weeks on foot. This was an unexpected turn. "Yes, I am but I haven't been home for many years. I guess you could call me a fugitive, like yourself", she explained and Zuko's eyes narrowed in anger. "I am not a fugitive. I will find the Avatar and restore my honour!", he lashed out and nearly spilled his tea in the process. "Prince Zuko, restrain yourself. We are guests here. Surely you haven't forgotten your manners", his uncle scolded and turned to the girl, "You must excuse my nephew, he is a bit short tempered." Again, Zuko disapproved of the statement but nobody seemed to care about that._

_"No apologies needed. I didn't mean to offend you Prince Zuko", she replied and he simply nodded. It hadn't been the worst thing he was called in the last weeks. "You haven't told me how I can help you", Kayia pointed out, still looking at him. How would he know? He didn't even know why they were here. However, before Zuko could say anything of the sort, Iroh explained their request: "We were hoping, that you would be willing to perform for us."_

_"What?", the fire Prince immediately rose to his feet, staring at his uncle in disbelief, "We came all this way for a show?" – "Patience nephew. Not just any show, we have come to see Kayia dance", Iroh elaborated, not sounding any less crazy to Zuko than he had before. However, his words seemed to have a curious effect in the girl, as her face turned serious and she rose to her feet as well. "I haven't practiced in a while. The Earth Kingdom citizens don't take kindly to my… our kind. But I owe you so much Master Iroh, I will not refuse your request. Meet me after sunset behind the camp. I'll need some time to prepare", she then instructed, opening the entrance for them to leave. "This better be some dance", Zuko mumbled as they left the tent and returned to the village for dinner. _

_He wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, the Fire Prince had never seen anything more beautiful than Kayia's performance that night. They had followed her to a small clearing in the forest, away from the prying eyes of the village, where they sat down in the grass as she continued to take her shoes off and then walk towards the centre. Suddenly, light was illuminating her childlike frame and it took Zuko a moment to realise what was happening: That girl he had believed to be an Earth Kingdom jester was firebending. _

_Kayia had started to move to a silent melody, her body flowing fluently from position to position, twirling and leaping in front of them with an elegance that most dancers he had seen at the Palace would be jealous of. Her fire flew like ribbons around her body, accompanying her every movement and illuminating the clearing. However, it wasn't the beauty of the movements or the immense control she exerted over the element that captured his attention. It was the nature of her fire. The yellow and orange tones he knew morphed into a green, purple and red whirlwind at her will. He had never seen anything like it before and Zuko couldn't take his eyes of it._

_His reaction was no different when he unexpectedly came across the colourful fire again: years later, when he and Aang met the last dragons._

xxxx

"I hope I am not intruding?", Kayia asked with a smile on her face, letting her bag slide from her shoulder to the floor. "No, you are not. It's just that of all the people in this world, I wouldn't have expected you to knock on my office door", Zuko explained his reaction, now smiling as well. Now standing directly in front of her, Zuko realised that she had grown quite a bit. The last time they met, he was about one head her superior Now, her eyes were nearly on par with his. As she pulled of her cloak, he noticed that her figure had changed as well; morphing from a teenager into the young woman she was now. This was to be expected, after all, he had changed as well in the four years since they had last seen each other. And still, he couldn't help but look at her.

_Mai wouldn't be pleased with him, _he finally realised and quickly regained his composure. "Here to collect on that promise I made you?", Zuko asked, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. Unfortunately, Kayia's answer was cut short by the servant who brought the tea he had ordered. "Thank you. I'll serve it myself, you may leave", Zuko instructed and the man quickly placed the tray on a table near the windows before retreating through one of the smaller service entrances. "So, you were saying?", Zuko reminded his guest, walking over to the table and pouring two cups of tea.

"Yes and no. I didn't want to pester you with my request, since I suspected you'd have your hands full with restoring peace. And looking at the chaos you have here", she gestured to the scrolls on the table, "I believe I was right. However, your uncle insisted that you could use a friendly face and, as you know, it is really hard to turn him down." Kayia smiled and accepted the tea he was handing her. "He wasn't wrong, I am glad you're here", he admitted, taking his seat on the opposite side of the table. "Actually, I expected to see you at your father's pardoning, but you weren't there."

Kayia nodded and seemed like she wanted to explain herself, but she was interrupted again. This time by Suki and Ty Lee who entered the office unannounced, wearing their Kyoshi warrior uniforms and traditional face paint. Zuko wasn't yet accustomed to the new bodyguard detail Mai had introduced upon his return this afternoon and it took him a moment to understand, what was happening. "Zuko… Oh sorry, we didn't know you had company. Should we come back?", Ty Lee said and already turned on her heel before he could say anything. "No, it's fine. Ty Lee, Suki, meet Kayia; She's a good friend of my uncle's. Kayia, my new guard detail, Suki and Ty Lee from the Kyoshi warriors."

Kayia placed her cup on the desk and rose to her feet, bowing to the warriors. "It is an honour to meet you. I have heard many tales of the brave Kyoshi warriors and I trust that our new Fire Lord is in very good hands with you." From the size of the girl's grins, Zuko could tell that they enjoyed their reputation proceeding them. "It's nice to meet you too, Kayia. Any friend of Iroh's is also a friend of ours", Suki replied, smiling kindly before turning to Zuko: "We have received an urgent messenger hawk from the border."

The young Fire Lord sighed. Work never was too far away for him. He pondered his options for a minute, before deciding that given the current situation, this couldn't wait. "Of course. You can leave the message with me", he replied and turned to Kayia. "I'll have to tend to this. But why don't you join us for dinner tonight? We'll have some more time to catch up and discuss that promise I made", he suggested, and to his relief, Kayia accepted his invitation. The dancer picked up her bag and cloak, looking a bit unsure about what to do now, when she turned back to Zuko. _By all means, how could he have forgotten this? He really needed some sleep_. "Ty Lee, would you be so kind and show Kayia to our guest quarters? Suki, I need you to fill me in on the situation at the border."

Kayia followed Ty Lee through the long, dark corridors of the Palace. She never understood this building. How could a Nation whose bending and power came from the sun build a Palace that allowed for so little sunlight? Luckily for her, Ty Lee seemed to know her way around the building, something that struck her as strange, since Zuko had previously introduced her and her fellow warrior as his "new" guards. Kayia was wondering, if she should ask the other girl how long she'd been working for the Fire Lord, when Ty Lee started the conversation herself: "So, how do you know Zuko's uncle?" Her cheery expression didn't really fit with the serious look of the face paint but this somehow made her even more likeable.

"He helped me and my mother escape when my father deserted the Fire Nation Navy. I owe him my life", she explained and Ty Lee gave her a sympathetic look. "Oh, I am sorry to hear that. How long has it been since you were home the last time?" - "Eleven years. This is actually my first time back in the Fire Nation. I could have returned earlier, since Fire Lord Zuko pardoned my father, but I was not yet ready to leave my life in the Earth Kingdom behind", Kayia replied as they turned another corner, now walking along a long corridor with portraits of the previous Fire Lords. "Do you have family there?", Ty Lee continued and Kayia entertained her curiosity. It was nice to make conversation after having travelled alone for weeks. "You could say so. I have spent the last five years with a troupe of travelling entertainers, they have sort of become my family."

Apparently, this had been the right answer, since Ty Lee stopped in her way and her eyes widened. "Entertainers? That's amazing! I have spent a few years with a Fire Nation circus myself – most fun I have ever had! But it's always so hard to find someone to talk about these things, most of the girls I know have lived in one place their entire life. They don't understand how great it is to move around, every week in a different city…", the warrior exclaimed, her words trailing off as she revelled in memories. Kayia reciprocated her smile, she could understand exactly how the warrior was feeling. "You must tell me, how Fire Nation circus artiste became a Kyoshi warrior. I'm sure it is a fascinating story", she said, gently laying a hand on Ty Lee's arm. The warrior's smile widened in response and she immediately started to tell her story, as they continued their path.

Of course, the story wasn't told when they reached the guest rooms, so she invited Ty Lee in and continued to listen to her fascinating tale over some tea. When Ty Lee finally left, Kayia felt like they had really bonded over their similar pasts and she felt less like an intruder in the Palace. However, they had spoken for so long, that she only had a few minutes to freshen up before a servant appeared and escorted her to dinner. When they reached the big dining room, Zuko was sitting at the table all by himself. This was unexpected, since he had previously announced that she would be joining "them" for dinner. However, Kayia forgot to ask when they reached her seat and she got a better look at the Fire Lord's face. He looked tired and somehow spirit less. A harsh contrast to the boy she had met four years ago.

She was so startled by his appearance, that she nearly forgot to bow. However, the servants indignant look quickly reminded her of the faux-pass and she hurriedly lowered her upper body before taking her seat at the table. "Thank you for the room, it wouldn't have been necessary. I could have found accommodation in the city", she said, downing an honest smile and hoping, that this would perhaps lift her hosts spirits a bit.

Zuko tried to return his guests smile, however it turned out more forced than he wished it to be. He had been lost in his thoughts. Apparently, Mai was still too angry with to join them for dinner. He couldn't hold it to her, after all he had left without saying goodbye. And, of course, the omnipresent matter of Yu Dao also still laid heavy on his conscience. But he silently vowed to put these things aside for the moment. It wouldn't be polite towards his guest and if he was honest, he truly needed some distraction from all the bad that was pulling him down. "You're welcome. You'll always have a room here if you need one", he returned just before the soup was served.

They both thanked the spirits for the food, before tucking in. Kayia had just taken a first taste, when her eyes widened and her hand desperately reached for the cup of water in front of her. Zuko raised an eyebrow at this display. The soup didn't taste any out of the ordinary for him. "Everything alright? Is there something wrong with your soup?", he inquired, taking another spoon of his own to ensure that his was just fine.

Kayia had to take a big sip of water, before being able to answer his question. "No, everything is fine. I simply didn't expect how spicy it is. Looks like eating Earth Kingdom food for years does that to you", she explained, laughing off her embarrassment. Zuko joined in and as they both laughed, he felt the burden in his chest lighten. It felt good to be carefree for once. "I could order you something less spicy, if you prefer. After all, I am the Fire Lord now", he offered, still smiling. "Oh right, nearly forgot that with the big headpiece and everything", Kayia replied, obviously joking but then continued to shake her head at his offer. "Sooner or later I will have to get used to this again. Might as well start today", she explained, taking another, demonstratively big spoon of soup.

Zuko asked her about her travels in the last years and she gladly shared some of her stories, ending with how she visited Iroh in Ba Sing Se and was basically harassed into coming here to visit the new Fire Lord. "I apologize on my uncle's behalf. You shouldn't have to come here, if you don't want to", he said, setting down his spoon. "Oh, don't worry, I wanted to. I just didn't expect it to be so soon. But sometimes you need someone else to tell you what's right for you", Kayia returned, her expression turning more serious as she looked at him.

Her brown eyes rested on him for a moment, examining his face. "How has the crown treated you, Zuko? I remember four years ago you weren't so sure this day would come. And I don't think anyone expected it to be so soon…", she finally asked, her voice filled with honest concern. Zuko sighed, he really must look terrible. But she had a point. Four years ago, when they first met, he had sincere doubts whether he would ever be able to return to the Fire Nation and take his rightful place.

xxxx

_Zuko and his uncle spent three days in the small Earth Kingdom town and after Kayia's presentation on their first night, he hardly left her side. He was completely infatuated with the colourful fire and wanted to learn as much about it as possible. This was something Azula couldn't do. It was something that – once he mastered it – would make him her superior. However, there was just one problem: Kayia refused to teach him. _

_"Zuko, even if I could teach you – which I definitively cannot – I wouldn't. So please, do not force me to", she had replied one afternoon, when he followed her into the forest to gather firewood. Zuko wasn't content with her reaction, however it felt wrong to force his whish onto her. Thus, he settled for questioning her about her teacher: "Fine, but then at least tell me who taught you!" Kayia froze in place and seemed to struggle with her composure for a moment, before turning back to him. "My mother. But you shouldn't waste your time trying to find her. She has passed last spring." Zuko immediately felt guilty for asking. "I am sorry Kayia, I didn't know… My mother left two years ago and never came back", he apologized and dropped his gaze at the thought of his mother's disappearance. To the young Prince's surprise, Kayia gently took his hand in response and nudged him forward: "Come, I think there is something I should tell you." _

_He followed her through the woods until they finally reached a cliff, where she sat down and faced him. "What you observed the other night, wasn't just firebending. It was a sacred ritual my mother taught me", she started to explain and Zuko was immediately captured by her storytelling. "You might know that before the war, our people worshipped the dragons. They were the original fire benders that gifted us the power to create life from our chi and bend the element to our will. As a sign of the fire nations continued gratitude, Imari, the first Fire Lord, established a convent of female benders that dedicated their life to serving the dragon masters. They were called the 'Dragon Dancers' because they would perform dances in honour of the great masters. Dances like the one I showed you."_

_"Back then, it was customary to offer all girls to the masters, whenever they showed the first signs of bending abilities. Being accepted to serve the dragons was one of the highest honours a girl could bring to her family and it was believed, that having a Dragon Dancer in the family would strengthen bending within the lineage, as well as bring prosperity and good fortune. _

_"When your great-grandfather started the dragon hunts, he abandoned this tradition and dismantled the order of the Dragon Dancers. My great-grandmother on my mother's side was one of the last children to be raised in the order. The dancers were never warriors, so when their convents were raided and burnt to the ground, most of them died quickly. My great-grandmother was lucky: a young soldier took pity on her and helped her flee. They eventually got married and started a new life, but she never forgot where she came from._

_"To save the knowledge and traditions for future generations, she passed them on to my grandmother, who then taught my mother. She didn't care to much about it, since the dragons had been extinct for years and she lived a good life with my father in the capital. However, when he deserted and we were confronted by the consequences of the war first-hand, she realized how wrong the Nation was to turn fire into a symbol of destruction and fear. That's when she decided that she wanted a different life for me._

_"You see, the 'colourful fire' - as you call it - is not something that I can teach. It must come from within you. In order to master it, one must achieve perfect harmony between mind, body, spirit and chi. And with all due respect Prince Zuko, it doesn't take much to see that you are completely out of balance." Zuko stared at her. How had he never heard of this before? He was the Prince of the Fire Nation for Agni's sake! It felt like, there was a whole chapter of his country's culture that he just wasn't aware of. "I understand", he finally said and rose, "I think it is time my uncle and I got back to our ship."_

_That night, when Kayia came to bid them farewell, she had asked him for a favour. He didn't have much to give her, but still it felt wrong to not at least hear her out. "When you become Fire Lord", she started her request but Zuko interrupted her: "**If** I become Fire Lord." Kayia smiled at the notion but stood by her word: "**When** you become Fire Lord, would you please allow me to return to the Fire Nation and teach my great-grandmother's legacy? I believe our people need to be reminded, that fire is so much more than an element of war."_

xxxx

"Zuko? Did I say something wrong?", Kayia's words returned him to reality and he rubbed his eyes, as if he had just woken up. "No, I was just remembering the day we last saw each other… You were so confident that I would become Fire Lord back then, even though I was a banished Prince sent to hunt down a man that the four Nations hadn't seen in a century. How did you know?", he replied, looking at her out of tired eyes. "I believe, that every single one of us has a path to follow – a destiny to fulfil if you want to call it like that. And I just had a feeling, that yours would be to change the direction of the war. After all – who would be better to end the destruction than someone, who had lived through the despair himself?", she replied, leading him to subconsciously touch his scar.

"I know now, why my uncle likes you so much: you sound exactly like him", he finally said, the smile returning to his face. Kayia joined in. "Your uncle is a very wise man, I'll take that as a compliment." - "Yes, he is", Zuko agreed, a warm tone in his voice. He missed his uncle. He missed his presence, his advice. Agni, he even missed the way he talked about tea. He could really have used his advice now. But his uncle had expressed his desire, to live a quiet life and Zuko wouldn't take that from him.

The servants reappeared and Zuko watched as they took their empty bowls away. "Since I sound so much like your uncle – as you so poignantly put it – might I offer some advice?", Kayia asked, drawing his gaze back to her. "You should get some sleep. You look tired." He laughed dryly at her proposal. "You're not the first one to tell me that", he explained, plucking the golden hairpiece from his head. He eyed his reflection in the golden flame. The shadows under his eyes were deep and if he hadn't known it better, he would have thought that maybe, he was sick. His thoughts began to wander, going back to the assassination attempts, he had to fight off over the last year.

Six. There had been six attempts on his life, and each of them would have been fatal, if his instincts hadn't warned him. Sure, maybe things would change now that the Kyoshi warriors were in the picture. He trusted them. But would it be enough? "Maybe then, you should take it", Kayia suggested and he put down his hairpiece with a heavy sigh. _If it just would be so easy._ "Iroh would be very disappointed with me, if he knew that I kept you from your sleep. Maybe it's time that I retire for the night", the dancer added and rose from her seat.

Zuko looked up at the young woman, who was again bowing respectfully in front of him. "You know, you don't have to keep doing that. You're a friend", he commented, feeling uneasy at the sight. _A traitor, a coward_ – that's what the Mayor of Yu Dao had called him. Did he really deserve all the respect, she was showing him? "Thank you, that's very kind. But I think I'll still keep with it. I have a feeling that some of the people around here don't show you the respect you deserve. I refuse to make the same mistake", she returned, giving him another smile before she turned on her heels and walked towards the door.

However, before she reached it, she halted and addressed Zuko once more: "I would love to visit the city tomorrow, however I fear that I'd get lost. Could it perhaps be, that having the Fire Lord as a friend comes with the perk of a guide?" He chuckled at her words and nodded: "I'll ask Ty Lee to show you around. She'll be happy to get out for a few hours and from what I heard, she seemed to be very smitten with you." Kayia laughed wholeheartedly at his remark, the clear sound of her voice filling up the whole room: "I like her too. We have a lot to bond over."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, the sun woke Kayia from her deep slumber. It had been a long time since she last slept in such a comfortable bed and she felt herself tempted to just stay in it a while longer. That was not an option however because Ty Lee could show up any minute for their trip to the city. She had to get ready. Yawning, Kayia stretched her limbs before she got up and turned to the vanity area. The servants had provided fresh water last night and she used her firebending to heat it up a few degrees, since she didn't really care for the cold in the morning.

After having washed her face and brushed her hair, the dancer slipped into one of her dresses and sat down in front of the mirror to braid her hair. She was nearly done when a short knock on her door announced Ty Lee. "Good morning sunshine, your personal tour guide is here!" If it hadn't been for her distinct voice, Kayia probably wouldn't have recognized the girl without her face paint and traditional Kyoshi warrior uniform. She quickly wrapped a hair tie around the end of her braid and then turned to face her guide: "Ready when you are!"

"Oh, no. No, nonononono! You are definitively not ready", Ty Lee insisted, closing the door behind her. "You cannot go out like that." Kayia eyed her appearance in the mirror. Sure, she was wearing the same dress as yesterday but she couldn't make out any wrinkles or dirt spots. There was no reason to change into something fresh. "Is there something wrong with my dress?", she finally asked, puzzled about Ty Lee's reaction. "Yes, you look like you're from the Earth Kingdom", the girl pointed out and Kayia shrugged her shoulders: "Well, that is not completely wrong…" She still didn't see, why this would be a problem but Ty Lee was quick to elaborate: "There are a lot of refugees in the city at the moment. People who had to leave their homes in the Colonies due to the Harmony Restoration Movement. Tensions are already high as it is. We don't want to unnecessarily remind them of what they had to give up. Do you own anything more Fire Nation style?"

Kayia shook her head. She could see now, that it would be more sensible to change into something more domestic. However, she had lived in the Earth Kingdom for most of her life. All her dresses – with the exception of her great-grandmothers uniform which she had vowed to never wear – were in the green, beige and brown tones of the Earth Kingdom. "Okay then, I'll lend you something", Ty Lee offered, taking her wrist and pulling her out of her room. "Come along, I am really hungry. How do you feel about getting mochi for breakfast?"

The Kyoshi warriors were staying in the guest wing as well, not too far from Kayia's room. They quickly reached their quarters and while Ty Lee searched for something more appropriate for her to wear, Kayia couldn't help but curiously eye the dojo across the hall. The door stood open but the room seemed to be empty. "Awesome, isn't it?" Kayia flinched as Ty Lee suddenly appeared next to her. "There is actually enough space to perform fourteen consecutive cartwheels, FOURTEEN!", she proceeded before offering her a bundle of dark red fabric. The dancer received them with a thankful smile and quickly changed out of her dress.

The clothes turned out to be a similar ensemble like the one Ty Lee was wearing, consisting out of trousers and a crop top with airy sleeves. "Do you think, I could borrow your access to the dojo to practice as well?", she asked as she neatly folded her dress and placed it on the small table next to the door. "Sure, I don't see why not", Ty Lee replied and gently shoved her out of the room. "But not now, I am starving for some watermelon mochi." Kayia laughed but agreed following the other girl down the hallway and out into the morning sun. "Right, let's go!"

They went straight to the mochi vendor and thus, soon after, the two girls were walking along the capital's streets together, eating the watermelon treat and enjoying the morning sun. The streets were still rather quiet as the city was only waking up. Ty Lee took her guide role pretty seriously, pointing out different buildings and statues, explaining their history and meaning. In between the sightseeing however, they quickly returned to their conversation of the previous day. "So, you are telling me that you performed for the Earth King once and he didn't realize you were Fire Nation?", Ty Lee asked, obviously amused by the story Kayia had just shared. "Yes, that's what happened", Kayia replied, finishing up her last mochi. "Well, that is one of the best stories I have ever heard", the other girl concluded just as they reached the end of the road, that opened up into a large square.

"So, this is the main square. As you can see, Zuko currently has them removing the statue of his father. And over there's the market", Ty Lee fell back into her guide role as they circled the main square. "Would you mind if I looked for some more Fire Nation clothing of my own?", Kayia asked as they passed the entrance to the market. "Shopping, are you kidding me? Of course!", Ty Lee answered, already steering towards a stall with different fabrics and started shuffling through the selection.

In the end, they found two dresses as well as a trousers and shirt combination, all in the traditional Fire Nation colours. Happy with the turnout, the girls were heading back to the palace, when Kayia suddenly froze. She recognized this street. "Ty Lee, where are we?", she asked, stepping closer to the building she had recognized. "This is the upper ring. Most of the high-ranking families have houses here for when they are invited to the palace. But not all of them live here permanently. My friend Mai's family house is just around the corner, and my family owns one just down the street", she explained and followed as Kayia turned into the street and took two left turns before she came to a stop. The house she had let them to was in a bad shape, the front door and windows nailed shut.

"What are we doing here exactly?", Ty Lee asked and stepped closer to examine the door. "This place doesn't really look inviting." – "I know this house… I was born here", Kayia explained, her thoughts far away. Before Ty Lee could say another word, the dancer had flung herself over the fence and circled around to the back of the property. The warrior sighed before following – it looked like breaking and entering was just added to their morning activities. The windows at the back weren't nailed shut and some of them had already been thrown in; probably by thieves who wanted whatever the residents had left behind. Ty Lee wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but she followed Kayia, who disappeared behind one of the damaged windows.

The dancer wandered around the ground floor. There was not much left of the place she remembered from her childhood. The stairs to the upper floor had been destroyed by what looked like a fire blast, and the only thing that proved her family's time in this building was a torn portrait in the entrance hall. She stepped closer and smoothed out the stripes of canvas, that were hanging down towards the ground, holding the picture together. "Is this your family?", Ty Lee suddenly asked, making her wince. She had completely forgotten, that she was not alone. "Yes. My mother, my father and me", she replied looking at her father's face. He was much younger in the portrait, his eyes less broken. The scar over his right eye was missing as well "Wait …", the Kyoshi warrior said, stepping closer to the portrait, "Your father is not just _a_ deserter. Your father is Jeong Jeong _THE_ deserter?"

Kayia nodded silently, letting go of the canvas she was holding. Immediately the picture fell apart again. It was a torn mess and somehow that suited her family's state. "Wow. Is he here as well? Your father is a myth, I would love to meet him!", Ty Lee enquired now putting the painting back together herself. "No, he isn't. Our paths have parted a long time ago", she replied, sitting down on the first step of the stairs. "I've heard he fought with Zuko's uncle in the battle of Ba Sing Se. I'm sure if you asked Zuko, he would help you find him", her new friend suggested but Kayia shook her head. "I have my own means of finding him, if I wanted to. But that wouldn't be wise, we don't see eye to eye at the moment."

"His past has changed him – he sees firebending as a curse now. As something that destroys whomever is burdened with it", she explained and let a small flame build in her hand. The warmth gently caressed her face while she stared into the fire. "And what do you believe?", Ty Lee asked, taking a seat on the floor in front of her. "Life and Energy", Kayia answered and let the flame die. "That's what it means to me." Now that the warmth of her fire was gone, the house suddenly felt cold and she had to get out of here. "I think I have seen enough. We should get back to the palace."

xxxx

Zuko tried to take Kayia's advice and get some sleep. However, he was shaken awake by a nightmare before midnight. And even though Suki and Ty Lee, who were posted as guards in front of his room, assured him that everything was in order, he still felt uneasy. Suki tried to get him back to bed but he refused, shaking his head: "No, I'm going to get a drink of water." He waved off the escort she offered and left – his feet carrying him without a clear target in mind. Only when the large structure appeared in front of him, he realised that he had been walking towards his father the whole time. And in some twisted way, this made sense: his father had been hated by thousands and yet Zuko had never even heard the slightest rumour of the old Fire Lord being plagued by restless nights. Maybe, after spending a year incarcerated, his father would be willing to offer some advice.

Just a few minutes later, Zuko placed two cups filled with steaming hot tea in front of him on the stone floor and looked at his father. Even in the darkness of the cell, he could make out the triumphant smile on the former Fire Lord's face and his courage disappeared. But who else could he ask? No one would understand. Thus, the young Fire Lord swallowed his pride and averted his gaze before finally admitting: "I need your advice, father." Ozai sat still for a moment, before sliding his hand through the bars, accepting one of the two cups. The sound of his voice was unexpectedly loud, and it took everything in Zuko not to wince. "You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher_._"

_No, that wasn't wat he had said. It was just his imagination playing a cruel trick on him. _He shook his head slightly to clear his mind and caught the second part of what his father really said: "Do you remember those family vacations we used to take on Ember Island?" Why wouldn't Ozai bring this up? Zuko didn't know what this meant, but he nodded slightly as his fist closed around his teacup. "Once' at the beach – you couldn't have been older than three at the time, we saw a hawk attacking a turtle-crab by the water. You ran as fast as your little legs would carry you to rescue that turtle-crab. But when you had the turtle-crab safely in your arms, you hesitated as you realized, that you were condemning the hawk to starve. You didn't know whether to side with the hawk or the turtle-crab. Before you could reach a decision, a giant wave washed over you and carried you out into the ocean. I had to dive in myself to save you", his father told and then took a sip of the tea Zuko had prepared.

Confused by the unexpected family memory, Zuko raised his one good eyebrow. "I came here looking for advice! I want to know how you were able to sleep peacefully in spite of the pressure of the throne." - "And I told you", his father replied, a smug smile in his face. Angrily, Zuko pointed out that his story was nothing more than an old memory. He was the Fire Lord and he demanded advice. But his father refused to answer any more questions. Even now, that he was his prisoner, Zuko still had no power over the proud man. Thus he had to admit defeat and left the prison more confused than before.

The young Fire Lord spent the rest of the night thinking about the story his father had told him. What did it mean? Did he want to highlight his indecisiveness? Should he have sided with the strong hawk or the weak turtle-crab? What was the meaning of the big wave? He had no conclusive answers. However, in the early morning hours, as he was dressed and his hair put into the traditional Fire Nation top-knot, he decided that his father must have meant that he should have sided with the strong hawk. His father always chose power over compassion. But that didn't help! He had already sided with the strong side – his nation – by deciding to revoke his support for the Harmony Restoration Movement and protecting the Fire Nation citizens in Yu Dao from being removed by force. But his nights were still restless.

Not being any wiser than the night before, he returned to the prison before breakfast to explain to his father, that adhering to his people's need hadn't changed anything – he still couldn't sleep. However, the answer his father had for him was complete unsatisfactory. "You're only partially correct in your assessment. Your sleeplessness does indeed stem from your inability to distinguish what is right. But you are wrong about the hawk", the old Fire Lord simply replied to Zuko's assessment, leaving the young man puzzled. Did his father really suggest, that he should have sided with the weak turtle-crab?

"There is no right or wrong apart from what you decide Zuko. You are the Fire Lord, what you choose by definition _is_ right", Ozai added and his son sighed. Of course, he should have expected something like this from his father. It had been stupid to believe, that the former Fire Lord would have any helpful advice. "No, you're wrong! Right and wrong are bigger than me, or you or even the Avatar!", he returned, explaining that the only way that they could even come close to what's right for Yu Dao was by working together with Aang and the Earth King. But this was a position, his father couldn't understand. Not now, not never. And Zuko knew it.

Ozai pointed out, that the Earth King would never be reasonable after what had happened and that it was his duty to defend the Fire Nation citizens of Yu Dao ferociously. In the ensuing back and forth, Zuko's father resorted to insulting Aang and his destiny to keep peace in the world. Enraged by how Ozai spoke of his friend, Zuko lashed out: "Avatar Aang is my friend! More often than not, he has been on the side of what's right. And I trust him!" This reaction finally seemed to move something in the old Fire Lord, as his blank expression faded and Ozai's golden eyes fixated on his son. "More than you trust yourself?"

The question came completely unexpected for Zuko and he had to avert his eyes. Did he trust himself? One of his first acts as Fire Lord had been to make Aang promise to end him, if he became his father. Wasn't this the ultimate expression of the fact, that he didn't trust the family legacy that was engraved within him? That he didn't trust himself? "You sicken me Zuko! Leave my presence", his father suddenly commanded, ripping Zuko from his thoughts. Ozai had risen and was now glaring down at him. For a moment, Zuko felt like the boy who knelt before his father begging for mercy again. But then he remembered, that this wasn't himself anymore. He was the Fire Lord and he needed to show strength. Thus, he rose to his feet as well and stepped closer to the cage: "Who are you to talk to me this way? Have you forgotten your current place?" Unfortunately, his resolution didn't last long as his father cut him off, now screaming for him to leave. And Zuko did, slamming the door as he went.

xxxx

Kayia had just changed into one of her new dresses and was about to return Ty Lee's clothes to her, when she came across Zuko in the corridor. The Fire Lord seemed even worse than the night before. The shadows beneath his eyes had darkened and his posture and empty gaze made the young man appear old. He was standing in front of a painting of his father, completely lost in his thoughts. Careful not to startle him, Kayia approached him from the side. "Would you like to have some tea with me? Your uncle gave me a few special blends as a parting gift", she proposed. Up close he looked even worse. Zuko flinched but relaxed again when he realised that it was just her. "Yes, tea sounds good", he agreed and followed her as she opened the door to her room for him.

A few minutes later, both of them were sitting on the floor of her room and she was heating up her tea pot using her firebending. Kayia noticed that Zuko was watching her and smiled slightly, before placing the three small pouches with tea leaves Iroh had gifted her in front of the Fire Lord. "Which one do you prefer?" Zuko considered each of the blends, taking the pouches into his hands and sniffing the ingredients. He finally settled for the second one and handed it to her. Kayia sprinkled a handful of herbs into the steaming pot and got a whiff of the blend herself: ginseng and lavender – tasty. While tea was brewing, she returned the other blends to her bag and then rearranged herself on the cushion, she was sitting on.

"Can I ask you something?", Zuko finally broke his silence, as she handed him his tea. "Of course, what would you like to know?", she replied, taking a sip of the tea but quickly realizing, that it was still too hot to drink. "Yesterday you said that you believe that each of us has a destiny to fulfil… What if we make a wrong decision and stray from that path?", he asked and Kayia could tell from the heaviness in his words, that this was important. "Well, that is the crux: I don't believe that there is such a thing as 'straying from the path'. At least not for long. I trust that the spirits guide us towards our destiny – even if at some point we might believe that we are wrong", she explained, placing the cup in front of her.

"But what about bad people?", he immediately asked and Kayia smiled gently. "I don't believe that doing something that might seem wrong or bad at the time, necessarily means that one has strayed from the path." Now Zuko seemed honestly confused: "So, you think it's some people's destiny to be bad?" Kayia shook her head and had to think for a moment on how she could best explain her beliefs to him in a way, that he would understand. "No, that's not what I meant. I was suggesting that maybe there is no such thing as "good" and "bad" or "right" and "wrong". It's all a matter of perspective. And sometimes, something that appears to be "bad" has to happen, for us all to end up wherever the path is leading us to. Look at the war, for example.

"Before the war, the world had lived in peace and prosperity for over a century thanks to Avatar Kyoshi. Generations didn't have to hunger, fight or fear for their lives. But this great time also had its consequences. Contrary to the spirits, dragons and other living beings, our lifespan is rather short and knowledge gets quickly lost through generations. The people that lived at the time of your great-grandfathers rule had forgotten, what it meant to be thankful. They took everything for granted and wanted even more. Most of them were completely out of tune with the spirit world. The world was completely out of balance and that time, the people didn't need saving. They had to realise, that their greed and hatred destroyed the world they were living in. And as brutal as it may sound, the 100-year war achieved just that", she explained and could see that Zuko was reflecting on she just had said.

"Are you saying that the war was a good thing?", Zuko finally asked and Kayia took a sip of her tea, before answering: "I am proposing, that maybe it was a necessary thing to restore balance. Just as your father needed to be cruel and banish you, so that you could eventually be the Avatar's firebending teacher and help him restore peace. I truly believe that there is a reason behind every action, and that the true reason might not always be obvious at the first glance." The sound of her voice perished in the air and for a moment it was silent in the room, as Zuko considered her story. Kayia let him reflect patiently and refilled their cups in the meantime.

"So, you believe that there is another reason for me being Fire Lord than just the fact that my sister is crazy and my father obsessed with power?", he finally asked and she smiled. He started to understand. "Yes, of course there is. I mean, look at how many things needed to fall in place for you to be where you are now: The Avatar had to disappear for a hundred years. Your cousin had to die. Your grandfather had to give the throne to his second born, even though tradition would have made Iroh the heir. Your mother had to disappear. You had to experience the pain fire could cause first-hand and be banished, only to return if you found the Avatar, who suddenly happened to turn up again… Do you see where I'm going? You sitting here is not just a coincidence. For some reason, our Nation and the world needs someone exactly like you to be our Fire Lord right now". Zuko's eyes were focused on his cup but he nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. "Thank you, Kayia. I think I needed to hear that."

She returned his smile and took another sip from her tea. But she couldn't help but notice, that he was staring at her. Like he wanted to say something more but wasn't sure he should. "Is there something else you wanted to know?", she gently nudged and Zuko nodded, but didn't look at her. Something was weighing heavily on his shoulders and it hadn't been lifted completely by their discussion on destiny, and the concepts of "good" and "bad". And thanks to her lengthy chat with Ty Lee this morning, she had a pretty good idea what was: "Is this about Yu Dao? Ty Lee told me what's going on, when we came across some refugees in the port." Zuko nodded, his golden eyes now meeting hers: "Yes. I don't know what to do... You say, that it is me the world needs on this throne at the moment. But what if I am not ready for it? What if I made a mistake pulling out of the Harmony Restoration movement? I don't want to wage another war like my father, grandfather and great-grandfather did!"

Zuko looked at the girl in front of him and again found him wondering, how someone his age could already be so wise and sure of everything she did. Kayia was the embodiment of what it meant to be at peace and harmony with oneself. Something, that he until this day had never achieved. Thus, he was eager to finally get some advice from her. Someone he knew didn't have her own agenda. Someone he could trust. Someone that had the best interests of the Fire Nation at heart. But Kayia's response was not what he expected: "What do you think, you should do?"

Zuko was taken aback by her question but it also made him smile. He could picture his uncle saying the exact same thing. "I don't know... At first I thought the Harmony Restoration Movement was the right thing to do. Occupying these territories was an act of war and a painful reminder of all the suffering we have caused. But some of the colonies, like Yu Dao, have been around for over a century. Generations of Fire Nation citizens have been born there and I am letting all of them down by forcing them to come back here. I mean the mayor's wife is an earth bender as is his daughter. What am I supposed to do? Tell them that they can either abandon their country and move with the mayor to the Fire Nation or their family will be torn apart?", he rambled. Once he started talking the words came easy to him, flowing out of his mouth like a waterfall. Speaking these things out loud, sharing them with someone he knew they would be safe with, made him feel so much better. This chat was worth it, even if Kayia didn't offer some good advice.

"Oh, forget your definitions of right and wrong for a moment", Kayia instructed, rolling her eyes. "Look within yourself. What do you think you should do?" Zuko looked up from his hands and directly into her warm brown eyes. "Nothing", he surprised himself by the word coming out of his mouth. "I think we should leave them to live like they have for the last 100 years. But we can't, can we? I mean we took the land by force from the Earth Kingdom. It is King Kuei's right to want it back…" Kayia sighed. She felt like for one moment, he truly saw what he was supposed to do. And then his mind started to turn again and his resolve got clouded by the pre-existing definitions of what was right and honourable to do. The dancer stretched out her hand and gently rested it on his arm, in order to stop his rambling. Zuko immediately fell silent, shifting his gaze from her hand to her face and back in confusion.

"Do you remember what I said before? How many things had to fall in place for you to be where you are now? Have you ever thought about how remarkable that group you are a part of, is? I don't believe that is a mere coincidence, that the Avatar - who also happens to be the Last Airbender -, the Prince of the Fire Nation, the children of one of the most respected warriors of the Water Tribes, and the daughter of basically the most influential family in the Earth Kingdom worked together to end this war. If there is a way for harmony, that no longer requires our four Nations to be strictly separated, I am sure you five can find it. You just need to trust yourself Zuko", Kayia gently suggested and smiled at the young ruler. He returned her smile, feeling hopeful like he hadn't in a long time.

Zuko lowered his gaze and watched, as she took back her hand. "Then you believe that sitting down and trying to find a peaceful solution is the right thing as well?", he asked after a while, still in desperate need of reassurance. So many people had accused him of doing the wrong thing in the last months. He needed to hear that for once, he had made the right decision by agreeing to meet the Earth King. "I believe that sitting down over a cup of tea and discussing matters in a civilized way is never a bad choice. And I think your uncle would agree." She replied and demonstratively filled up their cups again, her comment making them laugh.

From this point on, the conversation turned lighter. Kayia told him about the sights she and Ty Lee visited in the morning and Zuko instantly knew, that the two girls were getting along splendidly. "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you as well", the finally said after concluding the tales of her morning adventure and placed her empty cup on the floor in front of her. "Ty Lee and I came across a group of refugees, that had been brought back from the colonies. I talked with some of them and most of them were pretty angry and scared. They didn't really know what was going to happen next... One woman explained to me, that they have been staying in some sort of shelter and, apparently, the officials are going to reallocate them soon. Is that true? What do you plan to do with all these people? Where are they going?"

Zuko sighed at her question. This was the other side of the Harmony Restoration Movement and even though he had spent hours with his advisors, trying to find a solution for the refugees, he had yet to come up with something that he could truly believe in. "Some of them move on by themselves. But most of them haven't been back here for a long time; they have nowhere to go. We have established refugee shelters, where they have a roof over their heads and are provided with food and water while the officials are trying to find and contact their extended families here in the Fire Nation. Some villages have also offered to take in a fixed number of colonials, but it hasn't been easy. The whole process is slow because the officials are seriously understaffed and messenger hawks take days or sometimes even weeks to return", Zuko said and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Thinking about this gave him headaches. "I'm trying my best, I really am. But it has been hard", he finally admitted and looked back at the dancer who again gently rested her hand on his arm, offering her sympathies. The gesture was reassuring and Zuko found himself closing his eyes for a moment.

"I'm sure you are, and it sounds like you have managed to come up with a remarkable system, considering the circumstances", Kayia finally said and let go of his arm, leading the Fire Lord to open his eyes again. "Maybe I could help? It is obvious that you have more pressing concerns than my request at the moment and I don't hold it against you. But I need something to occupy me with as long as I am staying here and I would really love to help out in the shelters. I can understand where these people are coming from, I've spent most of my life in the Earth Kingdom as well. Perhaps I could help make them understand, that you are not punishing them but rather trying to help", the dancer proposed and Zuko could feel that she was passionate about this. She really wanted to help. And maybe that wasn't the worst idea. They could certainly use every pair of hands they got.

* * *

_**AN: Thank you all for sticking with me so far - I hope you like it! I really had a hard time writing down Kayia's perception of the world, as I picture it in my head and I rewrote that part of the chapter at least twelve times until I came up with the adequate words... I hope I was able to convey her understanding of the incredible world ATLA has provided us with. What do you think? I would love to hear your thought's on it, so please leave a review if you find some time :-)**_


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Kayia was meditating when Ty Lee entered her room and startled her by tapping on her shoulder. So much in fact, that she let her control over the flame in her hand slip and it shot up straight towards the ceiling. "Jeez Ty Lee, you cannot surprise a firebender like that when they are meditating!", she exclaimed, quickly putting out the flames in her hand. The warrior shrugged her shoulders and took a seat on her bed. Obviously, she had no idea how dangerous her little stunt had been. If Kayia wasn't such an experienced bender, she could have set something on fire. Or worse: set _someone_ on fire. Herself and Ty Lee included. "I didn't know you were meditating", the brown-haired girl said, obviously not really scared or interested. "Well, now you know", Kayia replied, demonstratively creating another small flame in her hand and holding it up for Ty Lee to see. "Wow, this is amazing!", the warrior came closer and sat down directly in front of her, eyeing her flames with a sparkle in her eyes. "I didn't notice yesterday how colourful and pretty it is! I mean, Azula's blue fire is kind of cool but also very scary. Yours seems so calm", she said and reached out with her hand, as if she wanted to touch it. Kayia quickly dispersed the flames and shook her head: "Were you just about to touch my fire?" Ty Lee grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe."

"So, it is really true that Zuko's sister has managed to create blue fire?", Kayia finally asked, getting up and straightening her dress. She had heard some stories of the fire princess and her cold flames but she hadn't really believed them at first. Stories were often exaggerated, after all. "Yes, and she kind of likes lightning too", Ty Lee answered and the dancer sighed at the mention. Blue fire and lightning - two forms of firebending she would never master. And she didn't want to. Blue fire was, ironically, hotter than any other form of fire. Such flames required enormous energy - energy that could only possibly come from bad emotions like anger and jealousy. And Kayia just wasn't the person to experience emotions like that.

Lightning on the other hand, was a special technique that only the most proficient firebenders could master, since it required the bender to separate positive and negative energy. Most firebenders weren't even able to feel or recognize the required energies. Kayia could, her fire was second nature to her since she had been able to sustain complete harmony of mind, soul, spirit, chi and body. However, Lightning-bending hadn't been around back in her great-grandmother's days; It was an invention of the war. But Kayia was sure, that the Dragon Dancers wouldn't have approved of the form, since it required the bender to willingly create an imbalance between the energies and could - as far as she knew - only be used offensively. Therefore, she had never really been interested in these techniques.

"I have never met her in person but there were stories... Some say she's mad", she said and a pained look appeared on Ty Lee's face. "She was my friend once...", the warrior admitted and tucked her knees to her chest. "When we were little, Mai, Azula and I used to hang out together all the time. But when her grandfather died and her mother disappeared, she changed. At first it was subtle, but with time you could tell that she was obsessed with pleasing her father and becoming the next Fire Lord. So much, that she wanted to kill her own brother... She nearly succeeded once, when we tracked him down at the Boiling Rock prison, but Mai helped him escape. I couldn't hold it too her - she has been in love with him since we were kids. But Azula was furious, she saw it as a betrayal and turned against Mai. That's when I knew that my friend was far gone." Ty Lee seemed truly sad at the loss of her friend and Kayia gently patted her arm. "What happened after that?"

"I chi-blocked her and she threw Mai and me into prison for it. That's where I met the Kyoshi warriors again and they agreed to let me join if I taught them how to chi-block", she told and her cheery expression returned, "And I did." - "I'm glad it ended well for you", Kayia said and smiled at the warrior: "I know you have lost a friend, but you also gained some. And maybe I could be one of them too?" The expression on the other girl's face widened, and she leaned in to hug her. "I would love that!"

The girls gave each other a long hug, before they finally got up from the floor. "Was there any particular reason you came by, friend?", Kayia asked while straightening out her dress and put special emphasis on the last word. "Oh yes, I nearly forgot! Zuko wanted me to come and get you. Apparently, there is some officer here for you?", she replied, taking Kayia by the hand and pulling her out of her room. "We should better hurry!" The dancer smiled and quickly followed her new friend, explaining the situation to her: "That must be the officer from the refugee project Zuko told me about. He agreed to let me help out in the shelters!" Ty Lee didn't really get her excitement but she didn't have any time to explain since they arrived in the entrance hall, where Zuko was chatting with the official.

The former prince was again wearing the traditional Fire Lord robes and hairpiece, but he looked younger than the day before. The shadows beneath his eyes had retreated a bit and his back seemed straightened with some more energy today. Maybe he finally got a good night's sleep. "Sorry it took so long", Ty Lee apologized while Kayia bowed before the Lord and the official. "No worries, Sergeant Sang was just updating me on the situation down by the port. Another ship arrived this morning", Zuko replied and shot Kayia a quick smile. "Officer, this is my guest which I have told you about. Kayia, meet Sergeant Sang. He is in charge of the refugee project." She eyed the Sergeant curiously. He couldn't be much older than them, maybe 20 or 22, it was hard to tell beneath the helmet. But his smile was warm and very friendly. "Nice to meet you Miss Kayia. I am honoured to show the Fire Lord's esteemed guest around our shelters today. I hope you will be pleased with our efforts", he welcomed her and respectfully bowed his head. "Oh, I plan to do more than just be shown around, Sergeant", Kayia replied, smiling gently and the officer seemed pleasantly surprised at her answer. "Well, shall we then?", he asked, gesturing towards the door. "Of course", she replied, quickly hugging Ty Lee as a goodbye and whispering an honest 'Thank you' into Zuko's ear, before bowing and following the officer outside.

xxxx

On their way down to the docks, Kayia didn't only learn more about the scheme they had put in place to care for the refugees but also about the Sergeant. He was indeed 21 years old and had been stationed in the colonies during the war. This had been one of the reasons, why Zuko had entrusted him with the project. Another reason, was his unmissable charisma and compassion, which Kayia immediately noticed as they entered the first shelter. He wasn't at all like the Fire Nation soldiers she had encountered until then. Sergeant Sang spent most of the morning showing her around the three shelters that were already inhabited, explaining their daily schedule and how the officers were registering and processing refugees. It was nearly lunchtime when they returned to the second shelter - the biggest of them all - and the Sergeant was approached by an officer with an urgent problem. "Please, go take care of the situation. I'll make myself useful here. Maybe they need some help with distributing lunch", she insisted, as the Sergeant wanted to defer the officer's request. He looked at her for a moment but then nodded slightly. "If you need something, ask one of the officers. They always know where to find me", he instructed before turning around and following the messenger outside.

Kayia quickly found a woman who was preparing lunch and could use a second set of hands. She was very glad to accept her help, especially since Kayia was able to keep the food warm or reheat a bowl during distribution. Her colourful fire was like a magnet for the children and she soon found herself surrounded by a group of curious eyes. "Do it again", one of the girls demanded and she gently smiled at her. "Why don't we make a deal? You all help me collect the empty bowls and bring them to that nice lady over there, and after we're done, I'll show you some more tricks?" The children were ecstatic, quickly running off and collecting bowls and handing them to the woman that Kayia had learnt to be Ma-Lin.

With all the bowls collected and Ma-Lin insisting that she didn't need any help for washing up, Kayia led the children outside and they sat down on the quiet street right behind the shelter. She started with some smaller tricks but eventually ended up telling the kids some stories, her mother had told her, and illustrating them by morphing her flames into the shapes of animals and people. After a while, some adults from the shelters told them and started telling their own stories, which she gave her best to illustrate. It was such a peaceful and happy moment, that Kayia started to forget everything else around her. Looking into her audiences' eyes and observing their reactions to her bending made her realise, that this was exactly what she wanted.

These people started to see a side of their Nation's element that they had long forgotten. But, easy as she tried to make it seem, this exercise took its toll on her and after the fifth story, Kayia could feel her chi depleting and her energy waning. Thus, she quickly snapped the flames out before she lost control and would hurt someone. "Sorry kids, that's it for me today. No more firebending", she explained with a smile and could hear some sad sighs going through the crowd. One of the girls stood up came closer, looking at her out of big orange eyes: "Are you going to show us more tomorrow?", she asked and put her hands together in a pleading motion. "Please do." Kayia smiled and nodded: "Of course I will."

The group started to disperse, and the dancer followed them inside, where she found Ma-Lin making tea. "Is there anything more I can help with?", the dancer asked, handing her an empty cup. "You have done so much already. I haven't seen the kids smile like that in a long time. Why don't you take a cup of tea and sit down with us old people", she proposed and handed her back the cup, gesturing towards the circle of people sitting on the ground. Kayia smiled, accepting the cup and taking an empty seat in the circle. "So young lady, what is your story?", one of the men asked and she tossed him a confused look. "You are the girl that the Sergeant brought in this morning, aren't you? But from the way you are dressed, you're not one of us… But if you're not a colonial, what are you doing here?", the man explained, and she felt twelve eyes – Ma-Lin's included – settle on her. "I am helping – or at least I am trying to", Kayia replied, looking at Ma-Lin out of the brink of her eye. "Oh, you certainly are helping, my dear. But I must say, I am curious as well. Why would a beautiful young woman like you decide to spend her spare time helping refugees? Shouldn't you be chasing after boys?", the woman added with a smirk on her lips.

"I've lived most of my life in the Earth Kingdom, just like you. But my return to the Fire Nation was facilitated because I made some fortunate connections. But I know that not everyone was as lucky as I am and it felt wrong to just sit around and do nothing. So, I asked if I could help and the Sergeant gladly accepted", she explained and took a sip from her tea. "Well, that is very noble of you. If only everyone would think a little bit more like you", one of the men sighed and Kayia raised her eyebrow. "Are some people bothering you?", she asked, curious to learn more about the situation of the refugees. "Some people", one of the women laughed dryly, "How about most of them? Starting with our oh so honourable Fire Lord and ending with the merchants here on the pier." Kayia didn't like the way her voice changed when she spoke of Zuko. There was hatred in it that the young ruler just didn't deserve. "Pha, Fire Lord. That boy is no Lord! Fire Lord Ozai always…", a man threw in and Kayia couldn't take it any longer. She felt like she had to defend Zuko, and thus interrupted the man: "Fire Lord Ozai left behind a difficulty legacy. Zuko is doing his best."

The group's eyes fixated on her again and Ma-Lin set down her tea. "You speak like you know him", she noted and Kayia nodded. "Yes, he's the one who arranged the meeting between Sergeant Sang and me." She could feel a bit of unease in the round, some of the elderly seemed like they wanted to say something but didn't dare to – now that they knew she could report to the Fire Lord directly. Kayia didn't want this – of course. She wanted to hear what the people truly thought and figure out how to help them. "Please, speak freely. Our country has a long tradition of freedom of speech. Fire Lord Ozai may not have endorsed this tradition but Zuko does. In fact, he values others advice very much and I would love to carry your worries and needs to him, if you'll let me", she ensured and gave them an encouraging smile. There still was some hesitation in the round, but not for long. Soon, the man that Kayia had previously interrupted, started talking again.

"We'll take you by your word, young lady. Honestly, if this really is his best, we are doomed. The boy – excuse me – _Fire Lord_ is clearly unfit to rule and has forgotten where his allegiance should lie. Probably from spending too much time with the Avatar…", he said and Kayia tried to keep her disappointment under guard, while some of the others nodded in agreement. That was not the information she had hoped for. She needed to know why they were so displeased with him, such that changes could be made. _Patience, _she reminded herself and took another sip of her tea, before asking: "What has he done wrong for you to distrust him so much?"

"Well, he threw all of us out of our houses, our homes and our stores without even thinking about it twice", the man explained and Kayia was confused. Had the Harmony Restoration Movement really come by so easily? She would have to gather some more information on that account. When she first heard of the Movement, it had already been enacted in the first colonies. "Our village received the order to return to the Nation at the same time as the news that the war was over. Can you imagine that?", one of the women recounted and suddenly the dancer could understand their anger. They didn't know Zuko, so they could not possibly know that he wouldn't have taken such a decision lightly. Or she hoped, that he didn't.

Ma-Lin apparently noticed, that she was confused and not completely content with the discussion. "You know child, we may be old, but we are not delusional. Most of us have seen the devastation the war caused in the Earth Kingdom. We knew that the Earth King would want retribution if we lost. But considering that most of us have given their lives and families to the war efforts, we expected our ruler to stick up for us. But he didn't. He didn't visit the colonies before making the decision. He didn't hear us out. All he did was send out some messenger hawks and abandoned us", she explained and Kayia could hear the pain and disappointment in her voice. "I lost my son and wife fighting in this war. And all we got was a message, ordering us to leave our lives behind immediately and come back here", the man that had previously accused Zuko of being 'unfit to rule' added. "I left behind my business and my house. For what? To sit around in this shed for the rest of my life?", another one threw in. The discussion continued for a while and when the time finally came for Kayia to leave, she felt like she now had a much better understanding of how the implementation of the Harmony Restoration Movement was carried out and why this wasn't the best way to do it.

Walking back to the palace with the Sergeant, she was silent. Still thinking about what the people had told her and how the situation could be improved. From what she could tell, communication was one of the major issues. The people had been informed via messenger hawk. Nobody had listened to their concerns and their needs. And now, the shelters were severely understaffed, such that information didn't flow easily, and people were left wondering about their future: How long would they have to stay in the shelter? What were the plans for them? How and where were they supposed to start over? And though resolving this issue seemed an enormous task, she was content. Communication problems, this was something one could work on.

"This day seems to have given you a lot to think about, Miss Kayia", Sergeant Sang noted and she smiled at him. "Yes… May I ask you something, Sergeant Sang?" The officer smiled at her: "Go ahead." – "I have talked with some of the colonials and most of them are pretty angry with the government, especially the Fire Lord. But at the same time, they seem to like you and the other officers working the shelters…", she explained her question and he nodded. "Me and my officers are at the shelters every day. The people see our efforts while the Fire Lord remains a figure head for most of them. It is easier to hate someone, you don't know. And it's easier to believe that someone doesn't care when you don't see them trying to help. And it certainly doesn't hurt that it was the Fire Lord's seal ordering their return – they can't really blame any of us for the situation they are in at the moment", he explained and his answer made her think. She had to talk to Zuko. As soon as possible.

xxxx

When they arrived at the palace, Kayia parted with the Sergeant. He offered to escort her again the next day, but she insisted that she would find the way to the shelter on her own. Now alone, she entered the building and crossed the entrance hall towards the throne room, determined to talk to Zuko immediately. However, finding the right way was harder than she had expected and when she finally found the right door, marked with huge flame symbols, Ty Lee was waiting in front of it. She wore her civilian clothes and walked around nervously. "Kayia! How was your day?", she asked as she noticed the other girl's arrival and immediately proceeded to hug her. The dancer slung her arms around her slender figure as well, before answering: "Very interesting. I was actually hoping to talk to Zuko, do you know if there is someone in there with him at the moment?"

The warrior let go of her and nervously played with her braid. "Yes, Mai is in there. And she was very angry when she came…", Ty Lee explained and Kayia nodded slightly. Obviously, this was not the best time to talk to the Zuko then. Maybe she should come back later… Just as she was about to turn and head back to her room, the doors opened and a young woman – Mai, she suspected – emerged. Her face was hard like stone, but her eyes seemed to be wet. Ty Lee immediately was at her side and talked to her friend in a low tone as they walked down the corridor. Kayia hesitated for a moment before opening the door and slipping through it. She started to walk towards Zuko who was talking to a kneeling Suki, when a man in Fire Nation uniform rushed past her and addressed the Fire Lord: "A message has arrived from the spies you sent to the Earth Kingdom! Your suspicions are confirmed. The Earth King's army now marches towards Yu Dao."

Kayia held her breath as the words echoed through the huge room and she could see anger light up on Zuko's face. For a minute, the Fire Lord stood still as a statue, before his hands flamed up and he turned towards the general again. "Ready our forces General. We will protect our people", he ordered with a voice that sent cold shivers down Kayia's spine. The general bowed deep before rushing out of the throne room as she wondered what had gone wrong. When they spoke yesterday, Zuko seemed convinced that a parley with the Earth King and the Avatar was the right thing for him to do. And now, he was reading his forces to march against the Earth Kingdom. "Suki, I will stand with my men. But if you and the other Kyoshi warriors don't want to fight against you countrymen, I understand. I release you from your guard duty", she heard him say but his voice sounded far away. Another war? Was this truly what the spirits foresaw for their world? Could the Nation take another conflict? Could the Fire Lord take it? So many questions flew through her mind and she eventually decided, that this was not the time to bring up the refugees. Thus, she retreated towards the door.

"Kayia, wait!", Zuko's voice stopped her in her way and she slowly turned around. Surprised, she found the Fire Lord descending from his pedestal and coming towards her. "I didn't want to interrupt. You clearly have a lot going on and I…", she apologized but Zuko interrupted her. "You are right where I need you to be. I need you to do me a favour", he demanded, now stopping in front of her. "Come with me to Yu Dao. All of this happened so fast… I could really use your advice", he pleaded and the desperation in his eyes hurt her. Especially, since she had to turn down his request. "I'm sorry, I can't. You are marching an army to the Earth Kingdom. And I have made a vow to never use my fire bending to inflict harm on anyone. Even if it is in self-defence", she replied, looking up into Zuko's eyes. He had looked better this morning, but now the shadows had returned to his face and there was something new in his expression. He seemed… defeated.

"You won't have to fight. We can protect you. I can protect you", the Fire Lord suddenly seemed extremely young as he basically begged her to go with him. "Zuko, if a fight ensues, we cannot have our Fire Lord protect anyone else than himself. It's just too dangerous", Kayia explained and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Trust in yourself, Zuko. I do", she reassured him and gently squeezed his shoulder. The door behind them opened again and the General returned, bowing in front of his Lord. "I'll leave you to it. And Zuko: be safe and don't let your anger guide you", she uttered before turning and leaving the men alone.

Nightfall had already set, when Kayia saw the war balloons lifting off, their dark red hardly recognizable against the black night sky. She had a bad feeling about this. The world wasn't ready for another war. And it was obvious, that the Fire Lord doubted himself, making his actions unpredictable. Maybe she should have gone with him. But she just couldn't. Her vow was one of the most integral parts of the Dragon Dancer's lives. Of her life. And, even if she didn't like to admit it, she was getting too close to Zuko. He relied on her council. And she – she liked being around him. But he had already had a girlfriend. And if she was honest with herself: the Fire Lord was way out of her league.

xxxx

To Kayia's surprise, Sergeant Sang was waiting for her the next morning. And the morning after that. Even though she constantly reassured him, that she was just fine on her own and he had more important things to do. But that didn't seem to affect him in any way. After having been watched by the officer nonstop for three days in a row, she finally confronted him and he admitted, that he was only following the Fire Lord's orders. _Agni, what had gotten into Zuko to assign 24/7 protective detail to her? _Kayia didn't understand it and she would definitively have to talk to him about this. It was ridiculous. However, since she wasn't getting rid of Sergeant Sang for a while, she used the opportunity to get to know him a bit better and try to extract any information concerning the Fire Lord's march on Yu Dao out of him. But he didn't have any. There hadn't been a single messenger hawk from the Earth Kingdom.

After four days, she was starting to get truly worried. The palace was empty without Ty Lee, Zuko, and the other Kyoshi warriors. She barely saw a soul in the huge halls and if she came across someone, they were servants who hardly dared to speak to her. These circumstances made her especially grateful for the time she could spend with the refugees and the dinner invitations the Sergeant consistently extended to her. She got quite close with him and the officers, but also found a good friend in the girl that had asked her to come back and show them more of her fire tricks on the first day. Her name was Shaolin and she was in the shelter with her father, mother, grandmother and sister, who also grew quite fond of Kayia. Like most of the adults, they appreciated the fact, that she took the time to listen to them and took their kids of their hands, every once in a while. Thus, her days went by fast and were filled with joy and hard work. But the nights were lonely. And there was one thought that replayed in her head every night before she finally fell asleep: _What if we are fighting another war and just don't know it yet?_

In the end, Zuko's return came very unexpected. Kayia was playing with the kids in front of the shelter, when Shaolin spotted the war balloons on the horizon. The fact that the ships returned so soon could only mean one of two things: either the conflict was resolved peacefully, or they had lost. Kayia really hoped it wasn't the second and her eyes started to wander. Sergeant Sang stood next to the door, his eyes peeled to the airships as well. "Please continue without me for a minute, there is something I need to discuss with the Sergeant", she said to the children before approaching her escort. "Do you think you could get me to wherever these balloons are landing? I really need to talk to Zuko, I mean the Fire Lord", she asked and the officer nodded quickly. "Give me a minute to talk with the leading officer", he said and walked back into the shelter.

When he returned, he quickly led Kayia around the shelter to the stables where a mongoose lizard had been readied for them. She had never ridden such an animal before and was glad to be able to hold on to Sang, as the creature swiftly carried them through the streets of the Capital. They reached the airfields just as the men started unpacking but Kayia couldn't spot Zuko anywhere. Maybe they were to late… "Over there, the royal carriage", Sang pointed out and she thankfully smiled at him as he helped her out of the saddle. "Thank you. And please tell your mother that unfortunately, I won't make it to dinner tonight. I hope you can understand", she said and was glad, that the officer had such an understanding nature. "Sure, but only if you tell me what happened tomorrow", he returned and Kayia smiled, before turning towards the coach.

Two soldiers blocked her way, as she approached it and one of them instructed her to leave: "No passage. If you want to request an audience with the Fire Lord, please refer to the palace." Kayia sighed, she really needed to know what happened. "Please, the Fire Lord knows me. Can you at least tell me what happened in Yu Dao?" The soldier seemed surprised at her request. "I am sorry Miss, this is confidential information and…" – he started but was interrupted by a voice she recognized immediately: "It's fine. Let her through." Zuko's face appeared behind the curtains and he opened the door, as the soldiers followed his command and let her pass. The dancer quickly entered the carriage and closed the door behind her, taking a minute to adjust her eyes to the darkness inside the vehicle.

Zuko was sitting opposite her and – to her surprise –looked very well rested. "You look good", she slipped and immediately added: "I mean, you look rested. What happened?" He smiled at her uncharacteristic impulsiveness. "Well, we fought – at first. But in the end Aang and the Earth King realised the same thing I have a few weeks ago. Yu Dao is something special, something new. And the Harmony Restoration Movement isn't the right thing int his case", Zuko recounted and a smile returned to Kayia's face. His gut had turned out to be right in the end and she was glad for him. He really could take the win. "And what solution did you come up with?", she asked, honestly curious about the situation. After all, the Earth Kingdom felt like home to her and she cared about the Colonials a great deal. "None – yet. I passed out right after the fight… Spent four days sleeping at my uncle's tea shop. But we agreed to meet in Yu Dao, once I recover, to discuss the details." – "Recover? Were you hurt?", she replied, checking if she could find any indication of injuries on the young man opposite her. But there were none visible. "No, no I'm fine. You don't need to worry", Zuko confirmed and gently smiled at her.

"What was it you so urgently needed to talk to me about?", the Fire Lord asked just as they reached the palace. "Nothing, really. I just needed to know what happened. I was worried that another war was upon us…", she admitted and could tell from Zuko's expression, that his had been his major concern as well. Quickly changing the subject, she turned to the matter that had been bothering her the last week: "But if you ask, I really need to talk to you about Sergeant Sang. What by agni got into your head to make him watch me like I'm a fugitive?" The carriage came to a full stop before he could reply, so she followed him outside and up the stairs towards the entrance. Zuko's steps were heavy and a bit unsteady, so she offered him her arm as support which he gladly took. "I just wanted to make sure you're safe", he explained as she led him down the corridor and Kayia shook her head. She wouldn't let him off so easy: "He didn't watch me like a hawk on the first day and I was completely fine. What changed?"

"I didn't know that you don't use your firebending for fighting back then", he admitted as they reached his chamber and a servant opened the door for them. "Oh, you're worried I am defenceless without my fire?", she teased and helped him sit down on his bed. "Are you?", he replied, taking out his hairpiece and opening the topknot, before taking off the heavy shoulder spikes as well. "Most definitively not. I'll prove it too you if I have to", she replied and got up from the bed, intending to leave his majesty to rest. But Zuko quickly reacted, grabbing her by her wrist and forcing her to sit back down. "Wait, I can't sleep again. I've done nothing but that over the last few days", he explained and let her hand go, resting his head against the headboard of his bed. "Why don't you stay and tell me about your week?"

"Inviting another girl to stay in your room… What would your girlfriend say, Fire Lord Zuko", she teased but unfortunately her words didn't have the effect she wished for. Instead of a smile, a pained look appeared upon his face. "Mai broke up with me just before I left", he admitted and Kayia could tell from his tone that his heartbreak was sincere. "I'm sorry, I didn't know", she apologized and shrugged off her shoes to be able to pull her feet up and get into a more comfortable seating position on the bed. "I don't want to talk about it", Zuko replied and ran a hand through his hair. "So, about your week…?" – "Yes, of course. I've spent most of my time in the shelters, helping out with food distribution, entertaining the kids and listening to their stories. Oh, and I also patched up about a dozen pair of socks!"

She told Zuko some of the things she had done and learnt during the week and the Fire Lord listened without interrupting. Sometimes, the look on his face or the way he raised his eyebrows hinted at his thoughts, but he didn't say anything until she was finished. "So, the refugees hate me? Add them to the long list of people that already do", he concluded, a defeated tone in his voice. Kayia shook her head: "They just don't know you. And the bad communication doesn't help with them understanding your actions." A thoughtful look appeared on his face before he turned to say exactly what she had hoped he would: "Do you have any suggestions to how we can improve this?" Of course she did. Smiling she started to explain what she had talked about with Sang during one of their many dinners during the week: "Would you consider visiting the shelters sometimes? I think it would help if the people got to know who you are. And Sang agrees. They need to get to know you as a person, not as the Fire Lord. Your father, and his father and grandfather before that established the Fire Lord to be worshipped as a deity. I think it is time for the Fire Lord to become a person again, someone approachable."

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_**Hello my dear readers! I hope you are healthy and safe during this difficult time. Thank you for sticking with me so far, I am still trying to find my pace with this one and I promise, that more action is going to happen soon. As always: Review if you have some thoughts, I would love to hear them!  
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_ Craftygirl11: Thank you so much for your kind review! It made me really happy :-) Sorry you had to wait two weeks for the new chapter, with all the stuff going on I experienced a bit of a blockage with this last week. But now I am hopefully back on track and updating weekly :) The new chapter is extra long though, so I hope this compensates a bit for the long wait!**  
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